….as opposition maintains boycott pledge
Mohloai Mpesi
THE government has vowed to forge ahead with the national reforms process despite the opposition’s resolve to scupper it.
Opposition leaders have vowed not to participate in the reforms process unless the government meets a host of their demands including firing heads of security agencies.
They have also hinted they would boycott Prime Minister Sam Matekane’s breakfast meeting this week to discuss the reforms.
The opposition leaders seem to be making good on their threats after they refused to attend a dialogue session convened by the Development for Peace Education (DPE) to discuss the national reforms process on Tuesday.
Main opposition Democratic Congress (DC) leader, Mathibeli Mokhothu, told the Lesotho Times yesterday the opposition would not participate in the reforms “for as long as government is not willing to sit down with us and create a conducive environment for the reforms”.
“I knew about the (DPE) dialogue to which I was invited to speak. I didn’t go because the matter of reforms right now is between the government and the opposition in parliament,” Mr Mokhothu said.
“They (government) know that we have our demands as the opposition, and we cannot participate in any dialogue that involves the reforms until the reforms environment is made conducive and our demands have been met.”
Popular Front for Democracy (PFD) leader, Lekhetho Rakuoane, who had also been invited to participate in the dialogue at Mafothoaneng, Berea, snubbed it.
But Deputy Prime Minister Nthomeng Majara told the dialogue her government would forge ahead with the reforms regardless.
She did not dwell on the opposition’s boycott threat preferring to stress the importance of the reforms process.
Lesotho needed to break the cycle of changing governments regularly to foster stability, she said. The current government must thus be allowed to serve its full five-year mandate.
She said the 11th Amendment to the Constitution – also known as the Omnibus Bill – which anchors most of the key reforms – would be introduced afresh to the National Assembly by Minister of Law and Justice, Richard Ramoeletsi, when parliament resumes next year.
It would be subjected to all routine parliamentary processes including being put through the relevant portfolio committees, she said.
Ms Majara said they would split the Omnibus Bill and start by pushing through sections that required a simple majority before moving to those needing a two-thirds majority. They would then wind off with those requiring a national referendum.
“We maintain as the government that we will continue with the reforms process. The government must be stable and finish its five-year term before going to the elections. This thing of changing the government every year will never benefit this country,” Ms Majara said.
“As the government, we have advised ourselves in collaboration with other stakeholders in the reforms process to prepare ourselves so that when parliament reconvenes, we should table the Bill in three separate forms.
“We will definitely continue with the reforms journey when parliament reopens. We have fervent trust that there is no one that will stop the process because it is going to follow the parliamentary processes like any other Bill.”
She did not explain how the government will navigate the aspects of the Omnibus Bill requiring super majorities if the opposition digs in and refuses to cooperate.
But she made it categorically clear the reforms process will steam ahead when parliament reopens.
Ms Majara stressed they were tired of governments changing every now and again, without completing their constitutionally prescribed five-year terms.
Mr Mokhothu and Adv Rakuoane said they had been invited to speak at the dialogue but had stayed away in line with the opposition’s resolve to stay away from the reforms process until their demands have been met.
Apart from dismissing heads of security agencies who have vowed to safeguard Mr Matekane from being toppled, the opposition wants the government to withdraw ruling Revolution for Prosperity (RFP) legislator Puseletso Lejone’s court application challenging the no confidence motion against Mr Matekane, among other demands.
Mr Lejone’s application saved Mr Matekane when he appeared on the cusp of being toppled on 16 October 2023. The motion could not proceed until that court case is finalised.
“We agreed that we should not go because I didn’t think they were inviting us to give our expertise. So, I couldn’t commit myself. We are trying to protect our unity (as the opposition) …. We must maintain our unity and avoid making contradictory statements…,” Adv Rakuoane said.
“My objection is that the government should stop Lejone’s court case. I am saying that publicly because they (government) are fighting the reforms, yet they are claiming to be protecting the reforms.
“They say let’s discuss the reforms, then they send the security forces to threaten us and to interfere in politics? Unless all these things are addressed, we are not going to engage in the reforms.”
However, former Lesotho Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (LCN) executive director, Seabata Motsamai, who is now a senator, pleaded with politicians to set aside their differences and collaboratively work on the reforms for the good of the nation.
Mr Motsamai accused some politicians of not wanting the reforms to succeed for self-serving reasons. He equated such politicians to “rats” that he said did not wish to have their holes of looting shut.
“All the people in leadership should respect this nation and ensure the completion of the reforms process,” Mr Motsamai told the dialogue.
“We embarked on the reforms to try to block all the loopholes so that the rats would not get in. These rats we are talking about are our leaders and we couldn’t take any measures against them except by embarking on the reforms process.
“Now, the rats refuse to cooperate when the loopholes must be blocked because they will have nowhere to loot. This country has lost a lot.”
The Sunday Express reported at the weekend the national reforms process was likely to remain in limbo after opposition leaders spurned the government’s latest invite for discussions on how to take the long-delayed process forward.
In a renewed effort to kickstart the reforms process, Prime Minister Matekane had invited opposition leaders in parliament to a 21 December 2023 breakfast meeting to discuss how to forge ahead with the stalled process.
The invitation followed a Court of Appeal ruling which essentially ordered the reforms process to be started afresh. The Court of Appeal declared that the current 11th parliament could not just revive laws that lapsed at the dissolution of its predecessor legislature and pass them as its own. It had an obligation to initiate, debate and pass its own laws.
The decision effectively nullified a number of reforms laws that the 11th parliament had inherited from the 10th parliament and approved. It also meant it could no longer revive and pass the Omnibus Bill in the format it was left by the previous parliament.
Mr Motsamai said the court ruling did not mean the reforms process should be started afresh from the consultation stages. A lot of consultations had already been done and the Omnibus Bill could be reworked and returned to parliament without much stress because all its ingredients were still in place.
Mr Mokhothu, who is also the Official Leader of the Opposition, had already scorned at Mr Matekane’s latest initiative for the breakfast meeting to discuss the reforms.
Basotho National Party (BNP) leader Machesetsa Mofomobe who introduced the 13 October 2016 motion of no confidence against Mr Matekane said he would not attend Mr Matekane’s breakfast event.
The opposition wants army boss, Mojalefa Letsoela, Police Commissioner Holomo Molibeli and National Security Service (NSS) head Pheello Ralenkoane fired over their statement vowing to thwart any attempts to oust Mr Matekane. The three security chiefs have demanded that the opposition focus on passing the reforms in the national interest and avoid toppling the premier.
Mr Mofomobe said he was being “constantly harassed” by the premier’s coalition and saw no need or reason to cooperate with him in the reforms process.
